"At least thirty cavalrymen broke through the gates. There are signs of fierce fighting everywhere, from the manor grounds to the dungeon."
At Weed Manor, the knight beneath the Tricolor Iris banner, Lord Seychelles, wore blue-green engraved plate armor. He frowned deeply as he ran a hand over the manor's iron gate, which had been warped by the impact.
Many knights around him had spread out, searching the Weed Manor, where corpses lay everywhere but not a single living person remained, trying to find even the slightest clue.
Lord Seychelles, whose hair was thinning, said cautiously:
"A large-scale battle broke out between both sides. At least half an hour ago, this place must still have been in chaos. Clearly, the Blood Race lost the battle. The only corpses on the ground are those of Blood Thralls, and their numbers match what was reported when the fleet transported them across the sea."
"Judging from the wounds, the enemy used weapons made of high-purity silver. They came prepared."
"The Corleone Blood Race members are all missing. If they weren't annihilated and their corpses taken away, then they were either captured alive or escaped—or perhaps all three happened. Either way, we no longer need to worry about the secret they were hiding. It either fell into enemy hands or was destroyed without a trace."
But none of those possibilities was good. Seychelles' heart sank as his iron-gloved right hand moved over his remaining hair.
"The only good news is that the Duke never intended to use them in the first place, so they don't know about our plans or actions," another voice said from behind.
Lord Cassian, another knight with a title and dressed impeccably, stood up beside a Blood Thrall's corpse and looked toward Seychelles.
"This was my fault. I'll go and confess to His Grace the Duke later." Knight Cassian's face was frighteningly grim, but the noble knight did not shirk responsibility. With a solemn expression and restrained emotions, he said:
"I ignored that large group of cavalry we encountered on the road. Now that I think about it, they must have been the ones who raided Weed Manor. If we had traveled at full speed then, perhaps we could have intercepted them."
But Seychelles did not think so. His instincts told him that the cavalrymen who had raided Weed Manor were extremely suspicious. Even if they had intercepted them, the outcome might not have been favorable.
Even though he and Cassian were both Extreme Realm Termination Knights.
But Seychelles knew this was not the time to discourage his friend. Cassian was already consumed by remorse over the mistake caused by his earlier carelessness.
"Two questions need to be resolved immediately." Seychelles' gaze swept over the mottled manor walls as he walked inside.
"First, who exactly were they?"
"Second, why did they come?"
Cassian followed his friend into the hall. Although he had already smelled the overwhelming stench of blood, he still couldn't help turning his face away when he saw the bloody scene inside.
Unlike Seychelles, who had worked as a mercenary in the Eastern Continent and lived by the edge of a blade every day, Cassian came from a far better background than his colleague. When the Old Duke personally knighted him back then, he had just graduated from Terminus Tower as an outstanding Terminus Swordsman—a young man with a bright future ahead of him.
After becoming an Extreme Realm knight, Cassian had not experienced such bloodshed outside of tournaments for far too long.
"We should send people out immediately and conduct a comprehensive search. We might be able to pick up the trail of these cavalrymen." Cassian frowned as he looked disgustedly at the blood-drained corpses on the table.
"If they belong to a certain family, then entering the noble manors throughout the DC District would provide them with the best cover."
But his colleague, Lord Seychelles, shook his head. He thought of the rabbits roaming across the Eastern Continent's rolling grasslands. No matter how many ingenious traps the Kiseri Tribe's herders laid, the rabbits always found a way to survive.
Their only natural enemy was the Sky Falcons soaring through the heavens, seeing everything below them.
Following the bloodstains, Seychelles headed toward the dungeon and objected, "We've already been conspicuous enough. Send people to search every manor in the DC District? After offending the entire upper society of the Star Kingdom, we might be able to find their trail."
"If we can't determine who they are, then we can only figure out why they came." Cassian raised an Eternal Lamp, covered his nose and mouth, and cursed these Vampires who were insatiably greedy for food and drink. He followed the stone steps down into the dungeon, where the stench of blood was strongest. His muffled voice echoed between the dim walls:
"This is a temporary base lent to the Blood Bottle Gang, used to receive and hide the Corleone family's experts. But neither Nekla nor Corleone is anywhere to be found."
"The Blood Bottle Gang is backed by us and the Kulen Family. That's an open secret in our circle. As for the Corleone family's assistance, we've always contacted them secretly. If they're discovered, the trail could easily lead back to our plans."
"Every family involved in the 'New Star' knows something about that plan to one extent or another, so that isn't a concern." Walking through the thick, bloody air without the slightest discomfort, Lord Seychelles analyzed the situation calmly. "I've already sent someone to report to His Grace the Duke. The Blood Bottle Gang's contact will arrive soon. But what secret could the Corleone family be hiding to attract such a group of people?"
Cassian held up the Eternal Lamp, doing his best to maintain his composure. He stopped amid a section of the dungeon's ruins and surveyed the surroundings in confusion.
It was clear that the ruins had once been a prison cell, but at that moment, they had been completely transformed:
It looked as though they had suffered terrifying destruction. The iron bars, chains, and wall stones had all been shattered into tiny pieces, scattered across the cramped cell.
It was as if someone had cut the entire cell into powder.
"The dungeon is also the Blood Race's blood bank." Seychelles said coldly, "Looks like someone didn't like this place very much."
"Whether it was the Vampires, the Blood Bottle Gang, or even the intruders, why would they destroy the dungeon like this? To vent their anger?" Cassian asked, baffled.
"The dungeon wasn't destroyed by them." Seychelles picked up a small piece of black, mysterious stone material engraved with strange patterns and writing. His expression grew solemn. "This is a prison cell. I'm afraid some terrifying character imprisoned here broke free, and the cavalrymen who stormed in worked with him from within and without to 'cleanse' this bloody manor."
If Tales had been there, he probably would have applauded the thinning-haired knight. His guess was already infinitely close to the truth.
"The extent of this destruction..." Cassian stared at the damage in the dungeon, frowning deeply as he exclaimed, "Only an Extreme Realm Expert could have done this."
"No." Seychelles' expression suddenly became extremely strange. Holding the mysterious black fragment, he said:
"Judging from its shape, this stone is probably part of some shackle."
"I suspect this shackle was what bound that mysterious person."
The next moment, he tossed the black stone fragment in his left hand into the air.
Seychelles' gaze sharpened, and the sword at his left hip, fitted with a Cross Guard, instantly left its sheath.
The clear, cold blade swept across the mysterious black stone.
For an instant, there was no sound at all.
One second later, invisible ripples spread through the narrow dungeon as the air compressed.
Deep cracks tore across the surrounding walls!
Behind him, Cassian nodded in admiration. That perfect strike had fused precision, speed, and finesse flawlessly. Even the Flower of the Fortress probably could do no better.
The sound of the blade cutting through stone finally arrived.
"Clang!"
The ringing note was crisp, and sparks flew in every direction.
"Boom!"
The gale raised by the sword finally reached their ears.
Wherever the force of Seychelles' blade extended, soil and stones fell from all four walls in unison. Wherever the gale passed, dust instantly filled the cell!
The Eternal Lamp in Cassian's hand was extinguished by the gale.
The gale vanished.
Seychelles remained expressionless as he returned his sword to its sheath.
Covering his nose and mouth, Cassian disliked the dust, but he still relit the Eternal Lamp. He bent down and searched through the rubble.
When Cassian brought the mysterious black stone fragment before Seychelles, the two exchanged a glance.
Both Extreme Realm Termination Knights saw shock and fear in each other's eyes.
The black stone that had been struck by an Extreme Realm Expert's blade now lay in Cassian's hand, completely intact and utterly undamaged.
The two remained silent for a long time, until Cassian finally spoke with difficulty:
"Looks like I was wrong again. With this level of destructive power..."
Cassian's face was ashen as he turned to look at the shattered cell, his expression filled with disbelief.
"Even an Extreme Realm Expert couldn't have done this!"
Eleven o'clock at night.
In a bedroom on the third floor of Mindis Hall, the subject discussed by the two Extreme Realm knights from Weed Manor had narrowly escaped disaster. Tales, now dressed neatly again, sat awkwardly on the bed.
He stared blankly at the court Female Official in front of him. She was around forty, yet still possessed considerable charm, with a beauty mark beside her lips. At that moment, she was... lecturing people.
What a pity, Tales thought. It would be better if she were a little gentler.
"This is how you've been taking care of the Heir to the Kingdom?"
"Are you two Barbarians?"
"His Majesty entrusted you with his bloodline! The future of the Star Kingdom! Not some Grey Basilisk that can survive after being thrown onto an island!"
"At this rate, you couldn't even take care of a Grey Basilisk!"
The dignified court Female Official used domineering roars to scold the two subordinates most trusted by His Majesty the King: Count Gilbert Casso and the guard Yordel Gato. Yet the latter two obediently lowered their heads and accepted her reprimands.
"His daily meals consist of nothing but bread and beef? Don't you know he's at the age when his body is growing?"
"Have you even bathed him? Don't tell me wiping him with clean water counts as bathing!"
"Can't you see that all the wounds on his body need careful treatment? Bandages? What are those?"
"Didn't you teach him how to dress properly? Don't use not having time as an excuse!"
"What kind of bedding did you find for him? This quilt and pillow are practically child killers!"
"You actually forbid him from going outdoors? Do you know how important sunlight is for growth?"
"Safety? Don't make excuses! Wasn't he kidnapped right under your noses while indoors?"
"Move that little Vampire girl's room at least a hundred meters away! What? There's no room like that? Then go dig one out immediately!"
"Starting tomorrow, apart from protection and teaching, stay at least ten meters away from him!"
"You two useless men!"
After Jinnie finally finished her furious lecture, she drove the two "useless men" out of Tales' room. ("Go prepare everything on the list immediately!" Jinnie had ordered.) Then she suddenly turned back.
Tales, who had been drinking water from a glass while watching the show, shrank backward half a meter in fright.
Seeing the stern look that had not yet faded from Jinnie's eyes, the boy was reminded of his former high school homeroom teacher.
But Jinnie only looked at Tales with hesitation and complexity. In the end, she let out a soft sigh.
She forced a smile and did her best to speak gently:
"Don't be afraid, Tales."
"You're safe now, and you'll remain safe."
"During this month at Mindis Hall, I'll be fully responsible for your daily life."
Tales swallowed some water and nodded. "Thank you, um..."
Jinnie gently picked up where he left off:
"I'm Jinnie Bakerville, a first-rank court Female Official, your father's loyal friend and subject, as well as... well, how should I put it..." Jinnie paused at this point, as if considering something.
But in the end, she raised her brows as though she had thought of the right word and said decisively:
"...his lover."
Tales failed to hold it in and directly sprayed a mouthful of water onto the bed.
On a road not far from Mindis Hall, Yordel materialized from the void and knelt on one knee before a tall, powerfully built figure.
"You should go inside and take a look," Yordel said hoarsely.
But the sturdy figure remained silent.
After a long while, he slowly spoke:
"Just like twelve years ago, you're always doing inexplicable things."
Yordel knew he was not referring to the matter at Weed Manor.
"But you sent Gilbert," Yordel said, lowering his head slightly. "You're hesitating too."
The sturdy figure remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he looked up at the lights from the third-floor room, then decisively turned around and left amid a group of elite guards in silver armor and faceless masks.
Only the solitary figure of the Masked Guard remained, kneeling beneath the moonlight.